FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

When I purchased a B52 VFT online, it came in some LFSM with perlite in it. Over time, a bunch of hitchhiker sundews started growing out of this LFSM, so after they got big enough to manipulate, I carefully removed the strands of LFSM that they were growing out of, and moved it into a fresh pot of LFSM, just kind of integrating the old LFSM with the new one.

Now however, about I would say 10 months later, the old LFSM that the sundews are connected to are looking goopy, like they're turning kind of mushy. Is there anything I can do for this? Do I just water less and let it dry out?

Also I noticed some little clear "worms" crawling around in the LFSM, which I'm guessing is fungus gnats because there was a plant nearby in my house that had fungus gnats in it. Do I need to worry about them messing up my smaller sundews as they're growing up? Most of the hitchhikers are decently sized now and are obliterating the gnats, and a pinguicula nearby is eating them as well. I'm treating the fungus gnat infested plant with Mosquito bit water, but I'm wondering if I should water the rest of my carnivorous plants with them as well, or just leave them alone to get eaten by the plants?

The goopy lfsm could be because it is degrading, or because of algae. Fungus gnats really only impact young plants and seedlings, so most of your other plants should be fine. I'm not sure about the pings though, because (from what I've read) those can get damaged badly by fungus gnat larvae.

I suggest no standing water for LFSM. When i bring in my neps. I place a plastic jar lid between the pot and the trey to make sure it can drain and not wick back in. This also stops mineral build up in the LFSM.

For pest in the moss i collect rain water for my inside plants and i keep "mosquito dunks" in that water.

As for the fungus gnats, they can be a nuisance but generally do not cause significant harm to healthy plants. However, if the infestation is severe, it can lead to root damage and other issues. You can try using sticky traps or applying a layer of sand or gravel to the top of the soil to discourage the gnats from laying eggs. You can also consider using a biological control method such as nematodes to target the larvae.